The headline on Wednesday night for FC Dallas was the Hoops' 1-0 win against defending MLS champion Los Angeles Galaxy at Pizza Hut Park. But an equally positive sidebar was the return of FCD midfielder Richard Mulrooney, who saw his first action with the first team in nearly a year.
Currently in his eighth MLS season and second with the Hoops, Mulrooney suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee on May 14, 2005 in a game at San Jose and has been absent from the FCD lineup ever since. His return came in the 69th minute Wednesday, when he entered the game for Ramon Nunez.
Head coach Colin Clarke was pleased with Mulrooney's performance in his return.
"I was very, very happy to get him back in," he said. "I thought he did very well. He is a good player and hasn't lost anything. He's smart, got himself in good spots, makes things happen and clogs up holes when he needs to."
Mulrooney was also happy about his return to the field.
"It's been 361 days and about 12 hours," he said. "It's just a relief to be out that long and finally step back on the field. It means a lot to me. Winning the game is the most important thing and I was glad to be a part of it."
His return has been a long time coming but Clarke has been careful to work Mulrooney back in gradually by having him play in several reserve division games.
Several weeks ago against Kansas City, he played 44 minutes and the following week against D.C. United, he stayed on the field for the entire match. Mulrooney recognizes the importance of the reserve games in his recovery.
"It (playing in the reserve division) was important for sure," he said. "Obviously, I think the level (of play) tonight is different from the reserves. Obviously, the reserve games are a higher level than practice.
"I wouldn't have been able to step right in to this game from practice. I don't think my fitness would've been as good or if my sharpness would've been as on," he added. "It was important to get those 45 and 90 (minutes) in the reserves for sure."
When exactly did Mulrooney find out that Wednesday would be the night?
"They (the coaches) just said that they had put me in the 18," Mulrooney said. "They said that any of the subs could get in tonight. Obviously, as a sub, you hope you're going to be one of the three chosen.
"Right after halftime, the assistant coaches said there was a good chance and obviously it happened," he said. "I'm glad they have the faith in me, throwing me right back in the mix. Hopefully, I can start getting 90-minute games soon enough too."
A healthy Mulrooney is a plus for the Hoops in the midfield. At the time of his injury last season, he had started seven games and had two goals and two assists. He is a two-time MLS All-Star and also played on two MLS Cup championship squads while with San Jose.
Besides being happy with his return, he was pleased with the Hoops victory.
"It does (feel good to return in a win)," Mulrooney said. "Anytime you lose, it's a bad feeling. If I had gone into the game and we had given up a goal, there would've been an asterisk on my first game back. Now I can say my first game back we won. Hopefully we can continue the streak against Houston this Saturday."
Last Saturday, Houston handed FCD their first loss of the season, sending them home with a 4-3 defeat. Mulrooney hopes to return the favor this Saturday when they take on Dynamo in Frisco (3 p.m. CT). Mulrooney is very familiar with the Houston personnel, having played with many of the Dynamo players while with the San Jose Earthquakes from 1999 to 2005.
"We just played them this past Saturday and they beat us," he said. "Obviously that's fresh on our minds. They had a great atmosphere in Houston and I'm expecting the same thing for us to reciprocate it here in Dallas and hopefully get the 'W'. They're one of the top teams in the league. It's going to take a good performance by us to get the three points."
Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
